Mathilde Lacombe

In a country like America, where 32.4 million people or let’s say almost 10% of the total population is diabetic, we can say that people need more awareness and improvement in their general lifestyle and habits to perform better and control their blood sugar levels.

Diabetes is a group of diseases that has an impact on the blood sugar levels of your body. Glucose is a common factor that contributes to providing regular energy to your cells and brain. When your body stops producing insulin to keep the sugar in control, it can seriously hamper your organs and have a negative impact on your daily life.

Type of Diabetes

There are two major types of chronic diabetes that so far, can only be controlled but not cured properly. However, there are two other types of diabetes that have the chance of reversal if you control your overall health.

These are:

• Type-1 diabetes
• Type-2 diabetes
• Prediabetes (can be controlled)
• Gestational diabetes (can be controlled)

Symptoms of Diabetes

If you suspect that you’re eating patterns are not the best and you might be experiencing certain changes in your health, you might be susceptible to having diabetes. It is best that you get treatment but understanding the symptoms is equally important.

Here are a few major symptoms of diabetes that you need to look out for:

• Being more thirsty and hungry
• Making more than usual visits to the bathroom to take a pee
• Unnecessary weight loss even though your diet is the same
• Fatigue
• Sores that heal slowly
• Weak immune system
• Nerve damage that causes your hand and feet to tingle
• Severe mood swings
• Frequent infections

Development of Diabetes

• Type-1 diabetes can develop at any stage but it is more prone to developing at an early childhood stage
• Type-2 diabetes often happens at the age of 40 or more and it is normally due to obesity and poor lifestyle choices
• Prediabetes is a warning that your body can turn to diabetes if you don’t make timely changes in your life
• Gestational diabetes is among pregnant women but it does get better after the baby is born

Causes of Diabetes

Different types of diabetes are caused by different reasons.

Type-1 Diabetes

• Immune system working against you
• Diabetes in genes
• Environmental factor
• Geographical factors

Type-2 diabetes/Prediabetes

• Obesity
• Eating junk food and sugar
• Poor lifestyle choices
• Diabetes in genes
• No exercise or activity
• High blood pressure
• Polycystic ovarian syndrome
• High LDL level
• Gestational diabetes
• Age
• Race and ethnicity

Gestational Diabetes

• Pregnancy
• Family history
• Age
• Race

Health Complications Due to Diabetes

Long-term risks associated with diabetes are increasingly emerging. The more you leave it untreated, the less control you will have over your blood sugar and glucose levels and thus; greater chances of problems. Eventually, symptoms of diabetes can be life-threatening and even cause disability.

Some common complications due to diabetes are:

Heart Diseases

Diabetes is the major cause of increasing heart-related issues among people. Many people with diabetes are prone to developing the following health complications:

• Heart attack
• Angina attack
• Narrowing of arteries
• Chest pain

Nerve Damage

Diabetes occurs due to high sugar and it can actually injure the capillaries and nerves. You need to seek immediate treatment for peripheral neuropathy to ensure that the damage is not growing and increasing.

It can cause:

• Affected limbs
• Problems in damage
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Unnecessary constipation
• Erectile dysfunction
• Problems balancing

Kidney Damage

Our kidneys are made of tine blood vessels that are arranged in clusters. In case of severe damage to the kidney due to high sugar levels, you can actually damage the filtering system of the kidneys. The most common issues are:

• Kidney failure
• Irreversible kidney diseases
• Difficulty controlling bladder

Foot Damage

Nerve dysfunction in the legs or inadequate blood supply to the legs raises the risk of complications in the feet. Unlike people with a normal sugar level, these problems do not heal properly and require a considerable amount of time to get better. Left untreated it can cause:

• Cuts
• Blisters
• severe infections
• Amputation of toe or foot

Eye Damage

If you are suffering from diabetes, the blood vessels in your retina can get severely damaged. You might need to go for options like surgery if the condition worsens. Some common eye-health complications associated with diabetes are:

• Cataracts
• Glaucoma
• Blindness

Prevention from Diabetes

Type-1 diabetes is the only kind of diabetes that cannot be prevented and normalized. The other types however with proper care and medical treatment can be prevented.

• Focus on low-calorie foods like vegetables, fruits, and healthy carbs. Obviously, an occasional pizza doesn’t harm but making fast and junk food a regular part of your diet can be too much to handle.
• Get out exercise more. If you are obese, at least walk but do something. Consider including at least 30 minutes of heart-pumping cardiovascular activity in your daily routine. Many obese people start with 150 minutes of activity every week and build their way up.
• Losing some excess weight can help you get much better and perform more efficiently. People who weighed around 200 pounds experienced an improved lifestyle, healthier heart, lower sugar levels, and most importantly, self-confidence.

Medication for Diabetes

Medication is also an option for people who are unable to practice these changes. Some medications like metformin can reduce the risk of developing type-2 diabetes. Health care professionals recommend seeking regular treatment for peripheral neuropathy if you are diabetic and if you are not, you need to get your sugar levels tested at least once every year.

Conclusion

If you are making poor lifestyle choices or your family has a history of diabetes, you are more likely to develop it as well. People who suffer from diabetes need to take serious care of their health so that the condition does not worsen.

If you have a family history of diabetes, it is important that you get yourself tested and checked regularly and add preventative measures like a healthy diet and plenty of exercise in your regular routine.